Apparatus for manufacturing hollow metal articles



l (No Model.) 3 sheets-salemJ 1.

- J. A. POTTER.

APPARATUSTOR MANUFAGTURINGHOLLOW METAL ARTICLES.

ept. 8, 1896.`

'Patented S ma Nonms PETERS au, Fumo-umn Mom.) 3 sheetssmet 2.

POT- APPARATUS FOR MAN TUBING: 0 LOW METAL ARTICLES.

` No. 567,410. Patented Sept. a, 1896.

WITNESSES A INVENTOT? Qwumw 5 my M f -NO Modem 3 sheets-sheet 3.

J. A. POTTER. APPARATUS POR MANUFACTURING HOLLOW METAL ARTICLES. No. 567,410. Patented Sept. 8, 1896.

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UNITED STAT-Es PATENT OFFICE JOHN A. POTTER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING HOLLOW METAL ARTICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 567,410, dated September 8, 1896.

Application filed July 24,1893. Serial No. 481,272. (No model.) l

T0 atZZ whom, it 771,114/ concer/L:

-Be it known that I, JOHN A. POTTER, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement iu Apparatus for the Manufacture of Hollow Metal Articles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 shows my improved apparatus in longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 2 is an enlarged central section of the die and guide cylinder. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line III III of Fig. 2. Fig. 4is a longitudinal vertical section of a modified form of apparatus, and Fig. 5 is a'n enlarged partial longitudinal section showing another modification.

The object of my invention is to provide means for manufacturing hollow articles of steel or other metals by forcing the same through a shaping-die while in a plastic or reheated condition.

Various kinds and shapes of articles, such as pipes, axles, shafting, and other hollow articles, may be made in accordance with my invention, and the invention is notlimited in its Vapplication in this respect.

The apparatus which I show is an improvement upon the apparatus described and claimed in my prior patent, No. 498,304., granted on May 30, 1893.

In the drawings, 2 represents the powercylinder of a machine, which is made of a strong metal casting, and is preferably connected with an end block 3 by tie rods or bolts L1.,which serve to brace the machine and to provide for the resistance of strain.

5 is the plunger of the cylinder 2, and 6 is a pipe by which water or other motive uid is admitted to the cylinder for the purpose of projecting the plunger. The cylinder is single-acting, and to retract the plunger I employ a smaller counteracting cylinder 7, whose piston or plunger 8 is connected with the plunger 5, so that when the iuid supply is cut off from the pipe 6 the pressure of motive fluid from a pipe 9, acting on the piston 8, will serve to retract the plunger 5 and dis place the water from the cylinder 2.

l1 isthe receptacle for containing the steel or other metal to be compressed and shaped.

-ary resistance plate or plunger.

It consists of a hollow mold-like cylinder which may be encircled by strengthening- 'bands l2, of ironor steel, and which is open at the front end and closed at the rear end. At its opposite sides it has pins or trunnions 13, and it is adapted to sit in a cradle 14, in which it is supported by the iitting of the trunnions in suitable forks.. The cradle is swiveled to and supported by the end of the upright plunger l5 of a cylinder I6, which is carried by a truck I7, movable on a track 18. The lower end of the cylinder 16 may be provided with an adjustable stop 19, which limits the extent of downward motion of the plunger l5.

The drawings show the parts of the apparatus in operative position. The mold-cylinder Il then rests upon the cradle 14, its rear end fits against the end of the plunger 5, and it is connected therewith by pins 20, which iit on hooks 2l, projecting from the plunger.

22 is a hollow die which fits in the forward end of the mold-cylinder. It ares internally, and is made of proper diameter and shape to eifect the reduction of metal to the required dimension.

28 is a hollow guide box orcylinder set in advance of the die 22 and secured to the end block 3 in line with the axis of the moldcylinder, so that it shall register with a paster than the die against which it bears and to which it serves the function of a station- In using the word plunger to describe this part I intend to indicate that it may be constructed in the manner illustrated or in any other manner adapted to afford resistance to the die, whether thel same be merely a passive resistance or whether it be adapted to force the die into the mold-cylinder.

25 is a mandrel or rod which extends axially through the plunger of the cylinder 8, through the cylinder 2 and plunger 5, and into the die 22.

diameter than the hole in the die, so that there may be an annular space surrounding it at the point where it passes therethrough. The rear end of the rod is preferably sup-v ported by a roller 26 or by other suitable It is made of somewhat less4 IOO means permitting it to move freely in a longitudinal direction. I

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Before setting the mold-cylinder into the machine, and while it is in an upright position, I prefer to place in its rear end the small charge v27 of refractory clay, which is intended to serve the purpose described inA` my prior patent, and I then cast or place Within the cylinder above the clay a hollow ingot 28. Then when the metal is highly heated, (either reheated or partially solidified from, its original molten state) but is sufiicientlysolid to perm-it the mold-cylinder to be placed on its sidewithout bleeding, I su-spend it from a crane by means of lugs 29 and lower it into'position upon the cradle 14, as shown inthe drawings. Before placing the :mold-cylinder in the cradle the latter may be'rraised by elevating ythe plunger 15, and may -then'be lowered by exhausting the water from the cylinder 1 6. The parts are then "in the :position shown inthe drawings,

the mold-.cylinder bei-ng `connected with the plunger 5 and the guide-cylinder 23 being in register with-the 'annular die 22. vThe rod 251is'theniinserted .through .the plungersand through -t'he hollow ingot and into the die, tliespace-within the ingot and around the rod being 'filled with black-lead soa stone, or other substance or'mix ure, whichsM ot r rac o an 1 nA properties and whichvmay be'inserted into the ingot before the mold-cylinder is placed -in the machine. By'use Of-such refractory and lubricant substance 'a'iilln is formed between the inside of the ingot and the outside of the rod 25, which performs several important functions. First, acting 'as arefractory and non-conducting material, it prevents the chillin g of the inside of the -ingot and prevents the ingot from heating the rod unduly; second, acti-ng `as a lubricant,it permits the rod toslide through the ingot, lfor during the reduction of the metalthe rod travels -faster than the body of the ingotas will be shown hereinafter; third, after the hollow article to be made-by the machine has been rfinished the lubricant lilm prevents the rod from sticking to the metal Vand enables it to be withdrawn easily.

Thepar'ts beingfin the position .above described, water is admitted `into the cylinder Zand projects vthe plunger 5,which, bearing Eon the mold-cylinder l1, forces it to move-forward` over the die 22 and over the guide-boX orplunger 23. This subjects .the Lmetal in the moldcylinder to -powerful compression,

vand forces it through .the die in the annular space around ,the rod,.25, cau-sing it inits passagetoassulne the form of a hollow cylinder, .which isfdelivered as itiis formed into the' guid'efcylinder 23. As the metal is'thus ejected through ,the die the rod ,25 is .carried 'forward therewith by the'friction-al Contact of 'the' 'flowing metal, and. serves constantly as 4afsolid rcore or mandrel Iaround which the metalis'shaped. The projection of the plunger 5 may be continued until the metal has been entirely ejected from the mold-cylinder, the residue remaining in the die being displaced by the refractory material 27, as eX- plained in my prior patent above referred to. When the operation is thus completed, the plunger '5 is retracted by the counteractingcylinder '7, thereby pulling the mold-cylinder ll back from the guide-cylinder 23 and leaving the pipe or other hollow article resting in the guide-cylinder. The pipe and rod may then be removed longitudinally and the rod pulled out from'the pipe. The mold may be lifted by the cylinder 16, taken out from the machine, another mold-cylinder substituted, and the operations above described repeated in the manufactureof additional articles.

For the purpose of lubricating the action of thedie in its motion through the vmoldcylinder and in the passage `of the metal through the shaping-cavity I place within the mold-cylinder, between vitszwall and the outer surface of the metal, Aa iilmv or layer -of refraetorylubricant, suchas describedabove. A-sth.e`d i e is iorced `inwardly into the mold.- cylinder this material lubricates the die in its passage, and as the lubricant is carried by the metal into the cavity of the d-ie it :prevents the die from being cut and renders the flowing of the vm etal easier, reducing the friction to a mini-mum. To make lit convenient to introduce the lubricant into the mold around the metal, an ingot, previously cast in another vmold, is used in the mold-cavity, and the ingot is made of taperingform, or

fsmaller in diameterthan the mold-cylinder,

so as to lleave an annular space aroundthe same, into which the lubricant is charged.

Afrom the effects ofexcessive heat.

In order to adapt the mold-cylinderll for use in combination with rods 4of different `diameters, I prefer to make its rear end of a `separate piece having .an axial holefor the passageof the rod,so thatit can be removed and replaced by other similar pieces when desired.

If desired, the die may also be shaped with suitable longitudinal -recesses or projections, -so as to impart to the hollow article formed thereby longitudinal ribs orgrooves, an article so formed beingV adapted 4to be out into sections andused for gear-wheels; or, instead of using a-die circular in cross-section, it may be shaped otherwise, so as to impart any desired sectionalshape to the article.

Instead of adapting the machine to the `manufacture of vpipes which'areof uniform .diameter throughout, I vmay use it Ato make hollow articles whose inside diameter varies fat di'iferentrpoints, and also hollow articles yWhose outside diameter isununiform.

To make pipe with ununiforminside diameter, I simply shapetheinnermandrel-erred .to conform to `the-shape and sizedesired to lbe given to the different parts of the pipe, as

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shown at 25 in Fig. Il, care being taken that it is so shaped as to permit its subsequent withdrawal from the article.

To make a pipe of ununiform outside diameter, (for example, hollow articles whose exterior is provided with stepped portions, like those on large cannon,) I may shape the die so that its orifice shall have a series of steps, as shown at 22' in Fig. 5, and also shape the forward part of the interior of the mold as desired. In using such die I stop the operation of ejecting the metal before it has been entirely displaced, so that the part remaining in the die and in the mold shall have the contour of these parts.

It will be observed and understood by those skilled in the art that modifications such as I havevdescribed afford facility for using the principle of my invention in the manufac- .ture of a great variety of hollow articles.

The construction of the apparatus, so that the rod 25 shall travel with the flowing metal, but at a faster rate than the cylinder or plunger which displaces the metal, constitutes a novel and important item of inventionA It should be understood, however, that my broader claims are not limited thereto, since, within the scope of the invention as broadly defined, the rod or mandrel, when surrounded with refractory lubricant, may be fixed to or adapted to move with the cylinder or plunger. In such case it is necessary to employ the refractory lubricant material above described, which I claim broadly and without limitation to the manufacture of hollow articles.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings I show passages 31 for water-cooling the die through the guidecylinder. Other parts of the apparatus may also be water-cooled if desired, and, as will be understood by the skilled mechanic, many modiications in the form, construction, and relative arrangement of the parts may be made Without departure from my invention as defined in the claims, and that novel parts of my invention may be used in other combinations and suitably modified to suit their new relation.

These modification which I have described are not intended to exhaust the enumeration of the possible changes which can be made,

' but are intended to illustrate such changes and to guide the skilled mechanic in further adaptation of my invention. I claim as my invention-m1 l. In apparatus for the manufacture of hollow articles, a receptacle for containing a charge of metal,ahollow die,a longitudinallymovable rod or mandrel extending through the die and receptacle, a body of refractory lubricant surrounding the mandrel within the receptacle, and means for positively forcing the metal charge through the die around the mandrel substantially as described.

2. In apparatus for the manufacture of hol- Y low articles, a receptacle for the metal, adie through which the met-al is ejected, a longi JOHN A. POTTER.

Witnesses:

W. B. OoRWIN, H. M. OoRwIN. 

